The Two Successors
by FallaciousTiger
Summary: The final battle between two brothers, two potential successors to Hokuto Shinken, Raoh and Kenshiro.


They stood there, staring at each other, fighting poses assumed. Raoh looked down at his younger Hokuto brother, then roared and attacked. Kenshiro countered with a scream. The magnitude of their attacks cracked the ground they stood on.

Again, both attacked at the same time, throwing punches, blocking, and repeating. Finally, both hit each other at the same time. Passing each other by, they turned, and faced each other once again. Their hands were blurs as both attacked once again. Jumping up into the air, their kicks canceled each other out.

"I need neither tears nor light! With your defeat, I shall be the strongest! Come, Kenshiro!" The young Hokuto Shin Ken successor struck out wiht his leg, but Raoh seemingly vanished. Turning and attacking at the same time, blood spurted from the both of them and they toppled. Standing up, Raoh grinned at his younger brother.

"The pain feels good! We've both waited a long time for this day!" Kenshiro watched him silently. Raoh continued, his smile growing wider, "There is no other technique for us to use than the one that draws power from our emotions, Musou Tensei! This fight feels like a return to the fights we had as children! Here I come, Kenshiro!" He ran towards the seven scarred man, drawing back his fist. Thrusting forward, he hit Kenshiro square in the chest, who didn't even bother to block. Skidding back, Kenshiro coughed slightly and blood leaked down his chin. He retaliated, lashing out with his fist. Groaning in pain, Raoh reciprocated with a chop to Kenshiro's shoulder, sending him down to the ground. Kenshiro shouted in pain, groaning as he hit the rock floor beneath him.

Raoh laughed. "I taught you how to fight! Raoh will always be your superior." Kenshiro stood up slowly, blood leaking from his wounds and spattering the ground. Raoh smiled.

"I must thank the Gods for sending me such a worthy opponent," He said, looking down at Kenshiro. "Come on!" Kenshiro smiled at these words and they ran to each other, trading punches. There was no hatred between them... they were beyond it. It was as if they were reliving their past battles when they had trained under Master Ryuuken. Yelling, they both hit each other square in the chest and skidded backwards, panting from exhaustion.

Raoh shouted aloud, throwing his arms wide open as he began to glow a bright orange, his battle aura raging. Stones at Raoh's feet shattered. Kenshiro slowly slid his foot into the range of Raoh's battle aura. Then, Kenshiro removed himself from his stance. Slightly surprised, Raoh stared at his younger brother. Tears had begun to leak from Kenshiro's eyes and stream down his face.

"Raoh... after this attack, our fight will be over! You were a great older brother whom Toki and I admired beyond words, Raoh... Even now, that thought has not changed in my heart!" Raoh looked at his brother as he slid forward slightly more. His aura wavered, shrinking, as Raoh's emotions began to run unchecked. Ken assumed his battle stance again. Raoh smiled slightly again.

"Very well, I will show you my superiority! The 1,800 year tradition of Hokuto Shinken will begin anew with my victory!" Raoh threw his arms up and roared, "BEHOLD MY WHOLE SOUL FIST!" His aura slowly vanished. Kenshiro watched Raoh, who did not move for a moment. Then in an instant, they both screamed, moving in for the final attack.

"I WILL SEND YOU TO HEAVEN, KENSHIRO!"

Kenshiro's punch reached Raoh first. Under the force of Kenshiro's whole fist, Raoh dropped to one knee.

"I-Impossible..." Raoh looked up. "This was Raoh's whole soul fist!"

Kenshiro looked down upon him. "Your heart is completely alone... But thinking of my elder brother Raoh, and of Yuria being alive, is enough to destroy even your Gou Ken!"

"Your strength is greater than those who choose to abandon love...!" Raoh looked over to where Bat and Lin sat, supporting the unconscious form of Yuria. "Kenshiro...!" He twitched as his skin seemed to crawl and blood burst forth from several points on his body. He screamed, his face upturned towards the sky. His young brother's form appeared above him. Toki looked down upon his elder brother.

'T...Toki!'

'Raoh, it's fine to accept it now.' Toki's voice was calm as it had been in life, his gentle nature and countenance exactly the same. 'Why, even now, can't you accept love? There is love in your heart too!'

'I don't need it! I'd rather die than accept love!'

'Then only the Star of Death awaits you,' Toki responded, his brow furrowed in sadness.

'What? The Star of Death?' Raoh gazed upwards. He saw the big dipper and, right next to it, the Death Star shone brighter than all the stars of Hokuto. Raoh stood up, struggling. 'I am the oldest of the Hokuto brothers, Raoh! If love was my burden, I may have harmed myself. If that was true, then it should be divided between Kenshiro and me!'

'That's enough, brother. The fighting has gone far enough,' Toki's voice echoed.

"I WON'T ACCEPT IT!" Raoh's legs shook furiously as he stood, drenched in both his and Kenshiro's blood. "I'm the oldest of the Hokuto brothers, not even death can stop me!" Kenshiro said and did nothing, watching without making a move. Raoh hit his own Sekkatsu-ko, screaming as he did, "Watch how the End of Century Ruler, Raoh, will die!" Screaming in the pain brought on by the vital points he hit, it turned to rage as he charged towards Kenshiro, who still made no move to defend himself.

"Kenshiro! I'm not dead yet! ...Kenshiro! Our strength is similar in every way! But there's still a disparity between us!" Roaring, he threw both his fists forward, but they stopped just short of reaching Kenshiro. Slowly, Raoh smiled. "So, you saw right through me? My fist no longer has enough power to defeat you."

Kenshiro slowly reached up and touched Raoh's fists with his own hands.

"Raoh..."

"I realize now... that you have lived with the taste of death in your mouth until the present day. In battling your companions, you have tasted both life and death! Huh... Companions." Looking upwards towards the heavens, he spoke, knowing his brother was listening. "Toki, you were my only companion, the only one who could have rivaled me! Show me..." Raoh slowly touched Kenshiro's face, "The face of the man who has defeated me, Raoh." He smiled again, pride etched into the lines of his bloody face.

"Splendid... My little brother."

"Big brother..." 


End file.
